Do you remember when you first became a Christian? It’s possible that you don’t recall the exact moment when your heart was gripped by the gospel. This was the case for me. I remember praying a prayer as a child, but rather than a flash of light on a road, my conversion was more like one waking from a dream. I don’t recall the exact moment when my eyes were opened, but when life came into focus, I know that my reality was changed and my heart longed for what God wanted. If your conversion story was more like a rude awakening, then perhaps you experienced the gospel’s power most strongly at conversion.
Either way, if we’re honest, over time the wonder of the gospel can fade until it becomes something we appreciate but do not acknowledge. Like the steady presence of the sun, we are glad for its warmth, but it’s not something we take time to acknowledge for the life that it gives. When we fail to believe the full breadth of the gospel each day, we can unnecessarily burden ourselves with messages of self-condemnation, and we can believe the lie that we somehow play a part in our salvation.
Does this sound familiar? You know God loves you and sent Jesus to die for your sins, but you still feel as if you are condemned by your sin. To offset the imbalance that you feel in your soul, you pray harder, repent longer, and (without meaning to) think these things contribute to your salvation.
But our good works don’t justify us. There is nothing we can do to add to Jesus’s finished work on the cross. Rather, our good works are evidence that we have been justified. If we are not careful, we can confuse the two and spend our time and energy, and therefore our lives, under a needless burden of self-condemnation and a striving to earn our salvation.
The Christian life is not one marked by self-condemnation but rather freedom because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
What Was Accomplished on the Cross
When Jesus died on the cross and took your sin and shame, he removed the debt of sin that stood between you and a holy God. He did this once for all for all time (Rom. 6:10). Therefore, those who put their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins are declared righteous before God (Rom. 5:17).
When you trust Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, two things happen. First, your sins are forgiven; second, God takes Jesus’s righteousness (his perfect standing with God) and places it on you. Your position with God has changed and so has his posture towards you. You are his beloved child—an heir—what Paul call a “saints,” which mean a holy one.
This position doesn’t change when you sin. Remember, you are forgiven of all your sin—past, present, and future. This is where you might get stuck and spiral into a cycle of self-condemnation, believing you need to do more to offset the bad things you’ve done. You are still going to sin, but because of the work of Jesus, God doesn’t count your sins against you. You are forgiven.
When You Think Jesus Isn’t Enough
The temptation towards unbelief stems from believing the lie that Jesus’s death on the cross wasn’t enough. When you feel that temptation, faith can realign you to the reality of what Jesus accomplished. You must believe it. The second you don’t, you fall into unbelief and try to earn your salvation.
For a long time, I knew that I was forgiven of my sins, that I was a Christian, and that the Spirit was working, but I still felt ashamed of and condemned for my sin. Whenever I thought this, I would instruct my heart, “There is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! (Rom. 8:1). God does not condemn me; I am covered in Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21, Phil 3:9).”
I remember when I first had this epiphany. I was driving, and my mind started to wander. My subconscious thoughts came to the surface, and I was berating myself for not doing something and was disappointed with myself. One thought led to another, and I felt the weight of my sin and told myself I just needed to try harder, repent longer, and pray more fervently for God to forgive my wicked heart.
That’s when the Spirit interrupted my spiral of mental self-flagellation and simply asked, “Why are you trying to add to Jesus’s sacrifice? Was his death not enough?” In the car, alone with my thoughts, the Spirit reminded me of the gospel. Jesus’s death on the cross was sufficient to cover all my sins (Col. 2:13-14). That day the gospel glowed warmer in my heart.
Freedom in the Gospel
The gospel must be embraced every day. When you wake up in the morning, remind yourself that you are not condemned—you are accepted. This is how you grow in faith and maturity as a Christian: by believing the gospel for what it truly is—good news.
Where are you inclined to believe that you need to add to Jesus’s sacrifice? Talk to God about it and let the freedom found in Christ wash over you as you rehearse the gospel anew today.
